News

Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Excellence Awards Recognize Pro Bono Achievements


The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network has announced the recipients of its 2013 Excellence Awards. The list includes individuals being recognized for pro bono achievements as well as a variety of civil legal aid professionals and other friends of civil legal aid across Pennsylvania.

Those recognized for pro bono efforts include:

  • Cary L. Flitter, Esq. is the founding partner of the Montgomery County firm Flitter Lorenz, P.C. He is a leading consumer protection lawyer and has trained many legal services attorneys in consumer law issues; has paid for legal services attorneys to attend consumer law training conferences; and he has directed nearly significant amounts of cy pres funds to support consumer law practice at legal aid programs in Pennsylvania. Mr. Flitter has worked personally with MidPenn Legal Services to set up a position and train staff on consumer law issues. In 2010, he initiated, designed and provided training for legal services programs on claiming and collecting attorney fees, once the Legal Services Corporation’s ban on such fees was lifted.
     
  • Kathryn M. Kenyon, Esq. is a partner with the law firm of Pietragallo, Gordon, Alfano, Bosick and Raspanti, LLP in Pittsburgh. She is the firm’s pro bono coordinator, working with a coordinator in the firm’s Philadelphia office. Ms. Kenyon is the chair of the Administrative Board of the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership, an association of law firms, corporate and government legal departments, the Allegheny County Bar Association, and Neighborhood Legal Services Association. Under Ms. Kenyon’s term as chair, the Partnership has continued to expand the number and type of signature projects through which it provides this legal assistance. Ms. Kenyon serves on the Board of Neighborhood Legal Services Association and has become one of the organization’s most faithful and long-term volunteers for the Protection from Abuse referral project.
     
  • The Lycoming Law Association and the Lycoming Law Foundation. The Lycoming Law Association, with support from the Judges of the county, mandates that each of its members take up to three pro bono referrals per year from North Penn Legal Services. Utilizing an opt-out program, members are considered to be participating unless they affirmatively opt out of the program, but to date, fewer than 10 attorneys have opted out. The Lycoming Law Association Foundation is the charitable arm of the Association. Its mission is to provide funding for worthwhile law-related community projects and activities and also to support the Williamsport Office of North Penn Legal Services. Most recently, the Law Association Foundation gifted $6,000 to North Penn Legal Services to fund an AmeriCorps position in the Williamsport Office for one year.
     
  • David Keller Trevaskis, Esq. is the Pro Bono Coordinator at the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Mr. Trevaskis has worked to create a safety net for the neediest among us in Pennsylvania through the Pro Bono Office, which annually receives and handles more than 6,000 inquiries from those seeking legal services. He has effectively utilized and promoted the PALawHelp.org website to make it the single most used legal reference in the state for civil legal aid. Mr. Trevaskis has used his skills at teaching to craft a series of CLE programs that provide valuable information for attorneys, while using free CLEs and speaking engagements as recruiting devices for getting more pro bono attorneys into the fold. He has worked to develop and foster bar and legal aid connections across the state and has secured funding for pro bono events and to support legal services.

Other selected to receive Excellence Awards include:

  • Judy Berkman, Esq.
    Managing Attorney for Regional Housing Legal Services in Glenside, PA.
     
  • Elizabeth C. Goodell, Esq. and Kerry Smith, Esq.
    Ms. Goodell manages Community Legal Services’ Homeownership and Consumer Unit and Kerry Smith is a Community Legal Services attorney in the unit.
     
  • Sol María Rivera
    Paralegal with Friends of Farmworkers, Inc.
     
  • Debra Wiley
    Legal Secretary in the Bedford office of MidPenn Legal Services.

Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc. will also be recognizing the following individuals with its Outstanding Leadership in Support of Legal Services Award:

  • The Honorable Ronald D. Castille
    Chief Justice of Pennsylvania 
     
  • Yvette R. Long
    Board Member of Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network for many years, including two years as President and two years as President Emeritus.

The 2013 Excellence Awards will be presented at the annual awards dinner on Wednesday, March 20, 2013, at the Harrisburg Hilton & Towers. A social hour will take place from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, immediately followed by a buffet dinner.

 

Topics:
  • Other